I'm from up North and now live in sunny Leeds. I found the Hip back in old '94 courtesy of a Canadian guy with whom I swapped some cassette tapes while I was travelling in Thailand. We had become bored with the same old stuff we had so we traded a few... I got Blue Rodeo, Toad the Wet Sprocket (Dulcinea) and Fully Completely. (He received Icicle Works, It Bites and World Party I seem to remember.)
I actually bought my FC cd in Singapore on the same trip, and quickly sourced Hip and Toad's back catalogue on my return home.
Eventually got to see the Hip at the Henhouse show at Shepherd's Bush in '97. This still ranks as one of the most amazing concerts I have ever had the priviledge of attending (on the night New Labour came into power and everything ...) and the Canadian content of the audience came as a shock - a pleasant one I must add.
I have seen all the London shows since then, accompanied by mate Sam who I originally met when we traded Hip boots way back then via the alt-music forum (he's also a fellow Rush fan).
I have in the main lurked on here for a couple of years, with the odd incisive post being thrown in

Kudos to Chris et al for keepin this place going, the Tracker, the taping and the DVDs etc. This is a priceless resource for Hip fans.
Andy